The present invention relates to the art of printing a code on tray blanks passing through a tray forming machine which folds and glues the blanks to form the desired tray.
Many types of machines are used for accepting stacks of container blanks and properly folding and gluing them to form the various types of containers. The containers may be used for a variety of purposes such as storing and shipping fruit, vegetables and other articles of commerce. The carton or tray forming machines are devised to form containers or cartons or trays of relatively inexpensive materials such as paperboard. It is important in many cases to print a code on the carton which may reflect the date the carton was made, the place or location at which the carton was made and the identity of the individual or group producing the carton or tray.
Such printing has been placed on the carton in the past after the carton or tray has been folded by the tray forming machine. This involves not only extra time, which is expensive, but also requires special equipment because the trays or carton blanks may be of lightweight material which flexes under pressure and thus, must be held rigid while the printing is applied thereto.